by C. C. Lynch
Draxe chuckled, “I heard the kids freaked out when you saved Tracy and my dad called you to his office.”
I nodded and gave Cinnamon a quick pat, “yeah, they looked at me like I was off to the gallows. Now I know why.”
He led us off that path and through thick grasses until we got to a hidden trail. He looked over at me and winked, “my secret path.”
“Draxe,” my voice cracked with nerves, “how did Tracy get hurt?”
He slowed Buttercup down nearly to a halt. “You realize you’re like Vlaine’s best friend. He gets along with you, me, and Aiden, and only us. He was friends with Erik when he was a kid, but now it’s just us.” I followed along losing track momentarily trying to figure out who Aiden was. “He knew how much effort you put into that project and when he found out Tracy took all the credit he got pretty pissed. She has telekinesis and he manipulated her gift so that the power that she could have directed elsewhere just made a sort of explosion in its source. Her arm got shredded as a result.” Draxe sighed and shrugged, “He really doesn’t like people screwing over his friends.”
“She could have died,” my voice was hoarse.
A devious smile formed, “wasn’t it convenient that there happened to be a healer awake and nearby?”
I gave him a sour look and concentrated on Cinnamon and her dainty trot. I was livid at myself for feeling comforted by Vlaine protecting me, rather than angry at him for hurting her.
We got back to the stables just in time to see Vlaine walking over. He shouted to Draxe that dinner was ready and walked back towards the school.
“I’ll take care of the horses,” I grabbed for Buttercup’s reigns.
“You’re having Thanksgiving with us.” Draxe got down from Buttercup and started walking her to her stable.
“I am? Like, with your family?”
“Yeah,” He laughed and shook his head as if I had said something ridiculous, “why else would the kidnapping happen this morning and not tomorrow or late tonight?”
“Rescue mission,” I winked, “but are you sure your dad is going to be okay with that?” The conversation we had just had regarding his father’s reputation did not make me feel like enjoying an obscene amount of side dishes.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” His voice was lighthearted and his smile was endearing, “our dad let us use his plane to go get you. That little ten person Cessna is my dad’s baby. I mean, he loves that thing more than he loves me. He knew about the plan and was even the one who suggested you join us for Thanksgiving.”
As I set Cinnamon up in her stable I felt fear creep over my body. I was actually afraid of seeing Headmaster Josnic. He was always so formal and reserved, but his actions thus far that day had been so personable. What would I wear at a holiday meal with someone that was always in three piece suit? Would I ignore the fact that his sons had taken his plane to get me from Valdor, or would it be open to discussion? Thanksgiving quickly became more complicated than I had expected.
Susan, the headmaster, Vlaine, and Draxe were discussing a football game when I walked into the kitchen. It was strange seeing the headmaster there conversing with his sons. I eyed Susan wondering why she was here on a holiday.
“Hello,” I smiled politely to everyone, “happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving Abrielle,” the headmaster spoke eloquently, “I must excuse myself. I have an emergency meeting to attend in the city.”
“What a terrible way to spend a holiday,” I frowned, “I hope that your meeting goes well.”
“Thank you Abrielle,” he straightened his tie, “terrific work in your Individual Skill Enhancement Seminar.” He turned to Vlaine and Draxe, “boys, I’ll see you both later.”
I was sure that was the most intimate moment I would ever witness between Headmaster Josnic and his sons. They said goodbye to him and continued to help Susan with setting up the table. The usual small tables were stashed away and replaced with a large dining table.
“Looks terrific, Aunt Sue,” Draxe flashed a smile while taking the turkey from her.
“You’re their aunt?” I gasped, intrigued.
Susan made an exaggerated nod. “Their mother Evelyn was my sister. Once their father became the headmaster he let me work here as the librarian. That only lasted until he tried my roast dinner. After that he switched me to the cook. I’ve been feeding the pupils of Glaston for the past fifteen years.”
I helped them bring dishes to the table and hid my eyes from Susan out of embarrassment, “I’m sorry, but this is going to be forward. Do you also have a gift?”
“No,” she shook her head, “I’m just a regular old woman with a talent for baking. Osiris knows I can keep a secret and after I first saw our Draxe here throw an impressive amount of force from his hands at the age of four he let me in on the little family secret.”
“What about the rest of your family?” I was trying to get around from asking about Vlaine and Draxe’s mother. I had never heard them mention her and I figured for that reason I was treading on touchy territory.
“My children are spending time with their families. Glaston Academy seems to give everyone the goose pimples and they shy away from visiting unless absolutely necessary.” Susan’s smile turned her ruddy cheeks to a soft red.
I watched the reaction from the twins hoping they would give more information than what their aunt had provided. Draxe seemed to catch on to what I was asking. “We have an older sister Bridget who is blissfully unaware about any of this stuff. She is the oldest and was born without gifts and wouldn’t know if someone had one if they rolled a fireball in front of her face. Our older brother Jackson is at the Think Tank and doesn’t seem to ever leave there. We might get a phone call from him once in a blue moon, but that’s it.”
“You have siblings?” I smiled in surprise. “So strange that your sister did not get anything but the three boys of the family got abilities.”
“Our mother did not have any gifts and we are not quite sure if they are genetic, but if it is I’d say it’s dominant.” He paused for a moment and gave Vlaine a solicitous glance, “our mom passed away when we were only three. It was pancreatic cancer.”
“I am so sorry to hear that,” I hated not knowing the right thing to say in these situations.
“It was a long time ago,” Draxe gave a half smile. “As a result, one of the initiatives at the Think Tank is using gifts to heal terminal illnesses.” A hopeful grin took the place of the half smile.
“That is a wonderful endeavor,” I added to suppress any silence.
“Speaking of which,” Susan’s bubbly demeanor was back, “when did you first find out that you were a healer?
“Just a few months ago, really. Whenever I saw animals that were hurt I knew I could calm them down and I figured I was just helping them to calm enough to limp away. I guess I was healing them all this time. I never tried it with a human before the accident here.”
Susan was serving herself and passing around the bowls filled with vegetables. “Vlaine had told me about the kitten you found nearly froze to death by your old high school. I was so moved by how gentle you were.”
My heart caught in my throat. I knew the kitten she was talking about, it was last February and the only person who was there was a random student that had been running track that day. The thought to ask Vlaine when he first began scouting me had never occurred. I had just assumed it was at the beginning of this school year.
I looked over at Vlaine who was staring at his plate. “When?” I cleared my throat, “when did you start watching me? How many people were you before you were Nicholas?”
“Oh I’m sorry to upset you dear,” concern splashed across Susan’s face.
“No Susan, no worries, but I am curious now.”
“I saw you just by chance last December when you went to the Nutcracker. I started scouting at your school a month later.” He pushed his fork around his plate nervously. “At first I kept you at a distance until I kne
w who your best friends were and saw how you interacted with them. I didn’t… I wasn’t Nicholas until school started.” He had dodged my question.
“That is unnerving,” I smiled uncomfortably. “We are going to have to revisit this conversation some other time.”
“It took him long enough to find you,” Susan laughed awkwardly. Vlaine’s face grew pale.
“Excuse me?” The fake smile was starting to hurt my face.
“Oh, sorry dear, I thought he would have told you by now. He saw you in a vision, that’s how they found you.” She gave me an endearing smile and stuffed a forkful of potato into her mouth.
So much for being able to keep secrets, it seemed that Susan had a knack for flapping her lips. Either she was terrible at being discrete or she was giving up this information for a reason.
“Well imagine how supportive such information would have been when I revealed my darkest secret to Vlaine.” I glared at Vlaine who was avoiding eye contact with me. “Yet another thing we will have to revisit.”
“Nope,” Draxe dropped his fork and put his hands up in surrender, “I like food way too much to sit in an awkward silence. Vlaine just tell her so we can clear this up before auntie’s pecan pie is ready.”
Vlaine looked up at me finally and sighed, “a few years ago I saw a vision of you running from someone. Liz, who I did not know at the time, touched you and gave you her invisibility while you were running from the man. That is how I knew you had replication. None of us were actually able to sense it from you. Honestly, I recognized your face before I even picked up that you had any abilities.”
“What did you feel when you saw the vision?” I thought of how strong my emotions were when I had the visions with Draxe in it. I was hoping that I was not crazy for feeling as strongly as I did whenever I woke up.
“I wanted to do everything in my power to protect you,” he looked sincere and grave as if he was feeling it while he was looking at me. In a true Vlaine fashion, he changed the subject and his expression quickly before too many of his thoughts or feelings were revealed. “You were a pain in the ass to get a read on from far away. I could never tell what the relationship between you and Nicholas was.”
“Oh please,” I guffawed, “you should have known just by being in the same state that we were just friends, but best friends.”
“I didn’t think that was possible,” he shrugged.
“Girls and guys can be just friends,” I giggled and pointed my fork at him, “look at us, for instance.”
“Thank goodness he found you,” Susan lifted her glass of Chardonnay, “it is truly a miracle to have a healer at Glaston Academy.”
“Thank you Susan.” The sweet smile on her round face told me that she truly wanted me there. I felt more at home with that feeling than I ever had with my mother.
That is an excessively melancholy thought, Vlaine’s voice sang in my head.
No, I winked at him, it’s hopeful.
“Enough of that,” Susan cleared her throat, “I may not have any special abilities like you children, but I know when a conversation is happening and I am left out of it. Audible voices will be used at this table.”
“Sorry, Auntie Susan,” Vlaine apologized in a sing-song manner.
Thanksgiving was comfortable like I had been accepted into the Josnic family. Before the sun had set Susan retired for the evening and the twins and I had our fill of delicious food. With the entire school to ourselves, Vlaine, Draxe, and I thought it would be amusing to use our freedom to stay up all night watching scary movies. Draxe was snoring just a few minutes shy of midnight.
“Those are my brother’s hushed screams from the pure terror of this riveting film.”
I snorted, “at least he can sleep. I am going to be forced to be awake all night for fear that there’s a serial killer in my closet.”
“There is,” Vlaine whispered, “I can hear him.”
“Stop!” I laughed and nudged his arm with my elbow.
He crouched down and lowered his voice. “You would be safer camping outside tonight. I can hear him thinking about how he’s going to use his kit of torture devices on you.”
My eyes glowed with an infantile idea, “let’s camp in here tonight.”
“In the common room of the dorm hall?” He laughed and shook his head.
“Yes,” I wiggled excitedly, “go get a tent and we’ll set up like we’re really camping.” It was the sort of ridiculous thing that Steph, Nicholas, and had done frequently.
“Okay,” he caved in to my request, “we have one hidden somewhere. Go grab your pillows and blankets and I’ll get the tent.”
“Wait,” my face flushed with embarrassment, “there’s really no one in my room, right?”
He gave my shoulder a consoling rub, “Stay here and protect Draxe, I’ll go get your stuff.
20
“You realize that camping works better when you’re outside?” Draxe was poking his head inside the tent flap.
I sat up quickly but Vlaine remained asleep, curled on his side on the far side of the tent. We had stayed up until three in the morning telling fake ghost stories before switching to a game of truth or dare. The game lasted two questions until it turned into a deep discussion about how we came to find out about our gifts and how our families had dealt with it. I tried not to be envious that Vlaine had support, but I was unspeakably grateful that I was in a place full of people like me.
“We were make-believe camping,” I laughed. “He gave in to my crazy side.”
“Spontaneous,” Vlaine corrected me with his eyes still closed.
I shrugged and giggled.
Draxe rubbed his eyes, “sorry I fell asleep so early.”
“We didn’t make it all night anyhow, but we can try again tonight if you want.”
“If there is food in the mix, count me in. I’m going to take a shower. See you tonight,” he zipped the tent flap.
“Thank you for giving into my spontaneity,” I nudged Vlaine.
“Next time we’re bringing a mattress. I may be stuck in this position.” Vlaine groaned.
I put my hands on his arm gently and healed any aches he may have had. “You just have to ask if you’re ever uncomfortable.”
He stretched and sat up. His pride would never allow him to ask for assistance, nor would it let me know that I had actually helped him at all.
“Can you heal yourself?” his forehead scrunched with concern.
“I have never tried,” I answered thoughtfully.
“I’m going to take a shower then a nap so we can try to pull this all-nighter thing again. See you tonight Abbs.”
He stood up and my stomach did a flip when I noticed his disheveled hair. I let my eyes wander to the tattoo peeking out from underneath his shirt. Once he was far enough from the tent I mentally kicked myself. I had always thought Vlaine was attractive, but until that morning I kept him labeled strictly platonic in mind. I was notorious for blurring friendship lines and I was doing it again because Vlaine was the only guy friend I trusted. I shook my head at my own thoughts and stood up to go get breakfast.
After a shower I walked down to the kitchen. A few minutes after I began eating Vlaine walked in. I stopped chewing and ogled how perfectly his jeans and sweater fit him. Oh no, I thought to myself. If I stayed in the room Vlaine would know what I was thinking, he would know I was checking him out.
“Coffee?” he looked over at me and held up an extra cup.
“I’m good,” I shook my head.
He shrugged, his lopsided grin turned into a full one. My eyes wandered from his smile to his arms; his sweater hugged them providing a satisfying outline to his muscles.
“See you tonight,” I jumped up and rushed out of the kitchen before he caught any thoughts that I was having.
“What is wrong with you, Abrielle?” I muttered to myself once I was back in my room. I surrounded myself completely with study material. In an attempt to purge all thoughts of Vlaine from my brain I man
aged to finish all the papers due for the rest of the semester. All I had to worry about until winter break was studying.
In the middle of studying macroeconomics my door opened suddenly. “I could have been naked,” I arched a brow at Vlaine.
“I could hear macro crap and I figured there was a ninety percent chance you were naked.” He shook his head disapprovingly, “I was wrong.”
“Ew,” I threw a pillow at him, “stop reading my thoughts.”
“Stop thinking so loud,” he tossed it back at me.
“Vlaine,” I looked at him seriously, “please stop reading me.”
“Abrielle,” he mocked my seriousness, “learn to put up a wall.” He beamed and folded his arms, “the campground is ready. Take a break from studying and let’s try for an all-nighter again. Draxe brought the pecan pie and I brought chips.”
“Be right there,” I harrumphed.
I picked up a handful of note cards to pull out in case my mind started to drift to thoughts of Vlaine. Worst case scenario, I would just excuse myself to go study. For some ridiculously illogical reason, the idea of Vlaine finding out that I was developing a crush on him was far more mortifying than Draxe seeing my reoccurring vision of him. At least I had no control over my vision, but I needed to find a way to keep my emotions at bay.
Whenever I started to develop a crush on Nicholas I would push my feelings onto another target and quickly because I knew that if Nicholas was single it would not be for long. The only other person I could push my feelings onto was Draxe or Erik. I did not trust Erik and even though Draxe was exceptionally good looking, his personality was not as enticing as the moody, bad boy one that his twin had. Finding a celebrity crush was the next best thing. I crossed my fingers that the movie we would be watching had an attractive actor that I could toss my feelings at and hope they did not stray towards Vlaine.
I doubled over laughing when I walked down the stairs and saw a huge fort made out of couch cushions, chairs, blankets, and pillows in front of the television. There were three mattresses inside the makeshift fortress.